People are living in motels.

Did you know that?

Thanks to Mary Rose Mission, I’ve been able to help deliver groceries to individuals and families living in pay-by-the-week motels in Northern Kentucky.

The experience is both humbling and horrifying. I had no idea this was happening. Well, no–that’s not true. I think I knew it was happening but assumed it was probably illegal immigrants who didn’t have paperwork to buy or lease a place to live.

In addition to learning what a disgusting person I am, I’ve learned that among the “residents” of these worn-down, vermin-infested buildings are little children and their mother; a woman who has just had surgery and is trying to heal an open wound in her stomach; and plenty of perfectly “normal-looking” people.

These are our neighbors. These are our brothers and sisters. These are the Body of Christ.

The conditions are deplorable. A quick glance inside one of the rooms assured me I’d rather just live in my car. That said, I have a car. Many of these people do not.

(And there we volunteers go, off to help the needy, our nice little caravan of Volkswagens and Lexus SUVs rolling up Dixie Highway.)

People are living in motels.

They deserve better, and we have to do better in service to them.

Everyone’s busy worrying about scandalous sisters, not-really-mandatory birth control and the slippery slope of religious liberty.

But this is a question of basic human dignity. Addressing it is not optional.

How will each of us help make this right?

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Photo: freedigitalphotos.net/Felixco, Inc.

About the Author

SOME people live in motels because even though they are perfectly decent, educated, respectable members of society – like, say a public school substitute teacher! – no one will rent a room to them without a CREDIT CHECK or demanding references. Things like that land some people in motels. Thanks for the assumption that there must be something morally wrong with everyone who winds up living in motels!!

Jennifer

Pamela, I believe you’ve misunderstood me. I don’t believe people living in motels are morally wrong! I certainly would never write something like that. The moral question here is how we as a people help, or do NOT, help those people. We need to be caring, compassionate Christians who look for solutions and work for change instead of behaving judgmentally.